Trump backs Ciattarelli

President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey’s GOP primary, saying he’s gone “ALL IN” on the “Make America Great Again” agenda.

Trump’s endorsement came Monday, May 12 in a Truth Social post and gives Ciattarelli’s campaign a boost as he competes against two other Trump supporters and a state senator who has been critical of the president.

The president’s endorsement and Ciattarelli’s gratitude to Trump in a social media post of his own reflect the president’s influence in the party, even in Democratic-leaning New Jersey.

Trump’s endorsement hinted at Ciattarelli’s earlier criticism of Trump during his first run for the White House a decade ago, when he said Trump wasn’t fit for the presidency.

“Jack, who after getting to know and understand MAGA, has gone ALL IN, and is now 100% (PLUS!),” Trump said in the Truth Social post.

Ciattarelli said in a post on X that he was “truly humbled and honored” by the endorsement.

“It’s time to unite our party, win big in November, and make New Jersey affordable and safe again,” he said.

Bill Spadea, a former radio host who’s also running in the June 10 primary and has called for replicating the president’s approach in New Jersey, suggested that the president was backing Ciattarelli because some polling indicated he was in the lead.

“(Trump) endorsed a poll not a plan,” he said on X. “We have the only plan and core principles to restore common sense to New Jersey government.”

Trump’s endorsement comes after he met earlier this year with Ciattarelli at his Bedminster golf club.

Ciattarelli’s campaign has said it sought the president’s endorsement and pointed to his performance in the 2024 election in which the president flipped former blue counties red.

New Jersey has been reliably Democratic in U.S. presidential and Senate elections. But its odd-year gubernatorial contests have seesawed between Democrats and Republicans.

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, a two-term incumbent, cannot seek a third-straight term under state law. Democrats also are locked in competitive primary.

In addition to Ciattarelli and Spadea, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and state Sen. Jon Bramnick are seeking their party’s nomination.

Ciattarelli, 63, is an accountant and small-business owner who served in the state Assembly and county office. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in the previous two cycles.

In 2021, he came within a few percentage points of defeating Murphy. In 2017, he lost in the GOP primary to then-Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.